Deep eutectic solvents for improved biomass pretreatment: Current status and future prospective towards sustainable processes

Highlights

• Pretreatment is a key step for biomass conversion.

• Deep Eutectic Solvents have shown compare favorably with other pretreatment methods.

• Biorefinery approach based on DES pretreated materials is reviewed.

• Tecno-economic and environmental issues dealing with DES application are considered.

• Updated state-of-the-art and barriers to improvement are discussed in this review.

Abstract

Pretreatment processes — recognized as critical steps for efficient biomass refining — have received much attention over the last two decades. In this context, deep eutectic solvents (DES) have emerged as a novel alternative to conventional solvents representing a step forward in achieving more sustainable processes with both environmental and economic benefits. This paper presents an updated review of the state-of-the-art of DES-based applications in biorefinery schemes. Besides describing the fundamentals of DES composition, synthesis, and recycling, this study presents a comprehensive review of existing techno-economic and life cycle assessment studies. Challenges, barriers, and perspectives for the scale-up of DES-based processes are also discussed.